Cavalier Mailing Services invests and celebrates record year

Richard Stuart-Turner
Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Mailing house Cavalier Mailing Services has taken on a raft of additional kit to boost its capacity and quality as it marks a record year of trading.

The Norwich-based business, which has traded from the same site in Rackheath since 1986, has purchased two new mono laser printers, a Xerox D110 and a Canon ImageRunner Advance DX, and fitted an X-Jet high resolution inkjet system to its existing purpose-built Sitma wrapping line.

Supplied by Landall, the new Xerox device was installed in November, a few months after the Canon printer went in last June. The machines, which have joined several existing smaller laser printers, have become the company’s new main production devices and enabled it to turn work around at faster speeds and print onto thicker substrates.

Meanwhile, the X-Jet variable data printing machine, supplied by AMS Mailing Systems and installed in January, is suitable for a broad range of mail services, including envelopes, postcards, and unwrapped (naked) brochures. With two heads, it can print postage indicias and addresses in one pass.

Total investment for the three pieces of new kit was around £45,000.

Financial director Nigel Greengrass said: “As the industry has changed significantly in recent years, Cavalier Mailing is constantly looking to evolve its processes to ensure that our clients are provided with a speedy, quality service.”

The business also operates CMC and Buhrs envelope enclosing lines, a CMC poly line – alongside the aforementioned Sitma line, several smaller laser printers, and a tabbing machine.

The business is due to report a record turnover of over £3m for its financial year ending March 2023, up around 25% on 2022, which it has achieved despite the tough trading conditions of the past few years. It partly attributed this rise to an equal focus on both looking after existing clients and proactively scoping out new business.

“We believe that our success is due to evaluating our market and operating procedures whilst not standing still during what have been difficult trading years for most industries,” Greengrass added.

From its 1,486sqm site, Cavalier Mailing Services’ 20 staff serve public sector clients including county councils and borough councils, private businesses, print management companies, and major brands.

We’ve been supported by @newanglialep ERDF Small Grant Scheme.

The Small Grant Scheme, part funded through the European Union European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), is a grant funding programme delivered by the New Anglia LEP in partnership with Suffolk Chamber of Commerce (New Anglia Growth Hub) and Suffolk County Council.

The Scheme offers grants between £1,000 and £25,000 to local SMES to help them grow and expand their business.

Could it help you too? Find out at www.newanglia.co.uk

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has called on its members who collect, sort and deliver parcels and letters to take further national strike action on the following dates:

• Friday 30 September 2022  and Saturday 1 October 2022
• Thursday 13 October 2022
• Thursday 20 October 2022
• Tuesday 25 October 2022
• Monday 28 November 2022

Further dates have also been announced by the CWU for functional strike action which impacts parts of the Royal Mail operation on the following:

• Processing, Distribution, International, Collections, Admin: 3, 9, 15, 24 November and 1 December 2022
• Delivery: 4, 10, 16, 25 November and 2 December 2022
• Network: 2, 8, 14, 23, 30 November 2022

Mail volumes at their highest levels for 2 years.
JICMail, the joint industry currency for ad mail, has released its data for Q1 2022 which shows that mail volumes are at the highest level in two years with 4% of mail prompting a purchase in Q1 2022. The data covering the period from January to March 2022 showed that over 12,500 mail items were tracked by panellists across direct mail, door drops, business mail, and Partially Addressed Mail (PAM), taking the entire JICMail database to just under 230,000 items. Royal Mail’s financial results show that the volume of advertising mail grew by 30% in the twelve months to the end of March 2022, indicating post-pandemic advertiser confidence in the mail channel.

The top ten advertisers accounted for 23% of all mail volumes in Q1 2022, which is up 21% from 12 months ago, and signalling “continued confidence in the mail channel from some of the largest marketing budget holders in the UK”, according to JICMail. The mail channel continued to maintain the effectiveness benchmarks it established during the pandemic, with 5% of mail prompting consumers to look up their account details in Q1 2022, and 4% prompting a purchase. 9% of business mail prompted account look-ups, compared to 4% of direct mail. 6% of business mail prompted a purchase – a comparable figure to direct mail.

Ian Gibbs, JICMail director of data leadership and learning, said: “The rising cost of living and an unstable geo-political situation doesn’t exactly make a fertile ground for marketing effectiveness, with consumer response arguably much harder to come by now than it was even during the pandemic. “It’s encouraging to see the mail channel continue to maintain its effectiveness therefore – effectiveness that has been rewarded by continued growth in mail volumes as the largest brands in the UK continue to show confidence in the mail channel’s ability to deliver on their marketing objectives.”

JICMail collates it’s data from a panel of 1,000 households each month. The mail activity of each household member is tracked using a diary-based app. Every mail item received over the course of a week is captured and everything they do with that mail item over the course of a month is recorded.

WHAT IS GDPR?

The GDPR comes into force on 25th May 2018. It is not a brand-new regulation, but a necessary evolution to the existing Data Protection Act. It is intended to extend additional protection for individuals and their data, providing greater transparency and control over where their data is saved and used. The ICO is working hard to produce guidance on what the new law means for organisations, and how they can become compliant. It warns that while its final guidance is compiled, no organisation should think that because the UK is leaving the EU, they do not need to plan for compliance.

The ICO is committed to assisting businesses and public bodies to prepare to meet the requirements of the GDPR ahead of May 2018 and beyond. The Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, has acknowledged that there “may still be questions about how the GDPR would apply in the UK on leaving the EU, but this should not distract from the important task of compliance with the GDPR.” What should also be acknowledged is the global nature of the GDPR. All EU member states will implement the GDPR and certain obligations (such as in relation to international data transfers) apply when working across borders. Furthermore, countries outside of Europe may need to comply with relevant aspects of the GDPR when trading with European countries so, from a certain point of view, the GDPR can be considered a law with implications worldwide.

GDPR APPLIES TO

PERSONAL DATA

According to the GDPR, the GDPR applies to “personal data”, meaning any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified by reference to an identifier. This definition provides for a wide range of personal identifiers to constitute personal data, including name, identification number, location data or online identifier, reflecting changes in technology and the way organisations collect information about people. The GDPR applies to both automated personal data and to manual filing systems in which personal data is accessible. This could include chronologically ordered sets of manual records containing personal data.

THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER’S STANCE

Fines under the current Data Protection Act are up to £500,000, but under the GDPR, these are set to increase to a maximum of 4 per cent of group annual global turnover, or €20 million, whichever is greater. The Information Commissioner has gone so far as to blog to set the record straight on fines and put minds at rest. Focus should be on compliance, not speculating about fines. This law is not about fines. It’s about putting the consumer and citizen first. We can’t lose sight of that. It’s true we’ll have the power to impose fines much bigger than the £500,000 limit the DPA allows us. It’s also true that companies are fearful of the maximum £17 million, or 4 per cent of turnover allowed under the new law. But it’s scaremongering to suggest that we’ll be making early examples of organisations for minor infringements, or that maximum fines will become the norm… …The ICO’s commitment to guiding, advising and educating organisations about how to comply with the law will not change under the GDPR. We have always preferred the carrot to the stick… …Our Information Rights Strategy – a blueprint for my five-year term in office – confirms that commitment. And just look at our record: Issuing fines has always been, and will continue to be, a last resort. Last year (2016/2017) we concluded 17,300 cases. I can tell you that 16 of them resulted in fines for the organisations concerned… …And we have yet to invoke our maximum powers… …Like the DPA, the GDPR gives us a suite of sanctions to help organisations comply – warnings, reprimands, corrective orders. While these will not hit organisations in the pocket – their reputations will suffer a significant blow… …And you can’t insure against that.

DIRECT MAIL OPPORTUNITIES

• You will not need consent for Direct Mail, if you meet the conditions for legitimate interest you will not require consent for postal marketing, however for e-mail & SMS marketing you will more than likely need consent.
• It is proven that Direct Mail pieces receive a higher response rate than e-mail, the consumer also feels a more human approach to marketing when receiving mail through the door as opposed to an unsolicited e-mail.
• Direct Mail is much more targeted in the current era & the consumer has often either purchased or shown an interest in the Marketeer’s product, this is produced without the need for holding personal data other than Name, address, postcode.
• Keep Your Data clean, we use software to ensure that your data is accurate, we can offer a service advising on deceased & mover records, this in turn makes for a more professional & successful mailing.

The post box is something we tend to take for granted – they’re a common sight on our streets and we all know where our nearest one can be found. In reality, the post box hasn’t always been so prevalent – and it’s been subject to a number of changes over the years.

Sanquhar Post Office has the exclusive title of oldest working post office in the world. Having been in continuous operation since 1712, the tiny post office has more than a 300-year history.

Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales, will long be remembered as one of the most adored members of the British royal family. Diana was born to royalty and in 1981, she became Princess Diana when she married Charles, Prince of Wales. She soon earned the nickname of “The People’s Princess” because people saw her as being more caring and compassionate than the rest of the royal family. Her charity work and kindness towards everyone she encountered left a lasting impression on everyone who watched her.

Providing privacy and safety for their contents, people have been using envelopes for thousands of years to keep communications secret. Historians believe envelopes were first used by the Chinese in around 3500BC, long before the days of an organised postal service.

Early History

The envelopes that were first used by the Chinese to keep royal communications secret
were nothing like their modern counterparts. The first envelopes were made from clay formed into a spherical shape. The message would be put into the sphere and sealed with more clay, which must be broken on delivery to access the contents.

The Machin Definitive 50th Anniversary stamp set has been released to celebrate the golden anniversary of his famous 1967 design of Queen Elizabeth II’s head on modern-day stamps.

Machin was one of five artists who submitted designs to the Stamp Advisory Committee in 1965 and his simple portrait was favoured above the others. It was thought to be elegant, simple and more defined than its rivals and the darker background emphasised the design.

Benjamin Franklin is remembered as a patriot whose contribution to establishing the United States federal government – in addition to his advancement of the printing industry – led to him being honoured on the first US postage stamp.

Royal Mail has released a new set of commemorative stamps featuring legendary racehorses. Commissioned to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Red Rum’s third Grand National win, paintings by famous equestrian artist Michael Heslop depict Red Rum, Desert Orchid, Brigadier Gerard, Kauto Star, Arkle, Frankel, Shergar – some of the finest in horse racing history.

The first example of direct mail dates back to the year 1000BC, when an Egyptian landowner wrote an advert on papyrus offering a reward of gold for the return of a missing slave. The advertisement was unearthed in Thebes and is now displayed in the British Museum.

Other ancient cultures who tried direct marketing include merchants from Babylon, who advertised their wares on stone tablets when they visited towns.

Royal Mail has honoured the unique talent and musical innovation of arguably the world’s greatest ever performer by releasing four new, limited edition David Bowie stamps that feature Ziggy Stardust, Earthling, Let’s Dance and Blackstar.

An ideal way to protect all kinds of promotional items, flyers and newspapers; polywrapping is an economical, fast and efficient method of wrapping and mailing catalogues, brochures, magazines, guides, CDs and books. A cost-effective solution, the plastic wrapping material is lighter than paper envelopes.

Polywrapping benefits

Invaluable in the world of direct mailing, polywrapping protects the literature while creating a professional image for your company. If you’re sending out brochures or catalogues with separate flyers and special offers inside, polywrapping keeps everything neatly together.

What is Branding?

Branding is the practice of creating your own identity – one that can leave a lasting impression with potential consumers. When starting a business, you must know WHAT and WHO you are so that you can classify the type of clients you are looking for and the type of audience you should cater to.

Although digital marketing has a proven track record for its quick and reliable distribution of creative promotions, it also has its fair share of downsides…. pave the way for direct mailing and its efficiency to deliver adeptly to a target audience.

Direct Mail vs. Email

With today’s fast paced technology, people and businesses across the globe are doing their best to adapt and cope with the latest trends. Almost every millennial these days has their own private email address –  even young children!

Direct mailing is still one of the best ways to reach your target audience. Unlike email blasts, direct mail adds a personal touch to its chosen recipients; resulting in a genuine form of communication that comes directly from the company to its intended readers.

To give you a further understanding of how an efficient direct mail marketing strategy works, here are a few tips which you can follow: